The appeal of SpongeBob SquarePants always struck me as nakedly Freudian: Even kindergarteners must sense that there’s something racy about a character who lives in a place called Bikini Bottom, or just about the words “bikini” and “bottom.” But James Parker makes clear in the June issue of the Atlantic that this oversimplifies the allure of the police-tape-yellow sea sponge who works as fry cook at the Krusty Krab undersea diner. “SpongeBob is one of the greatest believers in the American dream in all of children’s entertainment,” an expert on corporate branding told Parker. “He’s courageous, he’s optimistic, he’s representing everything Mickey Mouse should have represented but never did.” He’s also inspired a board book along with picture and other books, so the first story many American babies hear today may be a SpongeBob tale. Read the full Atlantic article here.